2 [BLUE]: A Lit Cigarette, Maybe Two.

The ballroom in the Styles' residence was packed with men and women, along with the backyard and around the pool, which was decorated with many pastel pink flower petals. The lights were all soft, and the uniformed waiters were wandering to serve the guests.
Zayn Malik and his father's table was set in the ballroom.

"So many fake people." Zayn whispered, watching people laughing and smiling around him. "Are you excited for the announcement tonight, dad?" Zayn turned to face his father now.

"To be honest with you lad, more like terrified." Yaser, Zayn's father, replied, while taking a large gulp of his champagne.

"Ugh expensive taste." Yaser hummed in delight.

The relationship between Zayn and Yaser was like that between friends; way more casual and unreserved than between a father and a son.

They tell each other everything, no matter what, and Zayn's quite proud of that; his father was a cool dude who happens to give the best advice ever too.

But Zayn coming out as gay, was the only stone in the way of the perfect bond they had.

But it was just a stone; it wasn't worth -in their eyes- to lose their wonderful connection for.

"Do you have any idea whom Mr. Styles gonna leave his old position as a CEO for?" Zayn asked again, bored, and wishing Liam was with him so they could gossip together and judge the straights. His favourite thing to do in formal meetings.

"There are a few names, me included, but there's one name I don't wish to hear tonight." Yaser replied quietly. The classic music wasn't loud enough to cover what he said in a room full of businessmen and women, so he had to be careful around here.

"Whose name?"

But before could Yaser answer, a friend of him along with his daughter joined them in the table.

The dads who sat beside eachother, started talking, and the young girl that could not be older than sixteen, turned to face Zayn. Her eyes were shinning with excitement, she was sitting beside the handsomest man in the room.

"Hi I'm Juliana, what is your name?" She asked adorably and if their parents' weren't on the table, Zayn would screamed I'M GAY in her face. Just in case she'd start flirting. She's so young.

"It's Zayn."

"Nice name. What does it mean?"

Ugh, I don't want to get to know you over a cup of tea with your eyes undressing me like that. Zayn thought.

"Beautiful and nice, I guess."

"Yeah damn you are." She giggled at her 'smart response', more like a pathetic flirtation in Zayn's eyes.

"Julia! Language." Her father frowned, and Zayn couldn't help the smirk that took over his face. Seemingly her dad had ears for two conversation.

Probably every dad does when their children are involved, he's certain his father has too.

"Excuse me, I need a smoke." Zayn mumbled. None of the dads sparing him a look, as his father was betting a hundred dollars that he will get the position tonight. As he was the man who worked longer in the company, and the oldest one.

While Juliana gave him a disappointed look, Zayn swore she may go cry in the bathroom in a minute. She'll get over it, he sighed, everyone does.

He stepped outside, taking a deep refreshing breath after being inside for about an hour, while everyone waited for his father's boss to make an appearance.

A waiter was standing by the door leading to the backyard, and he stopped Zayn, who looked at him in confusion.

"Good evening sir, if you going to the garden, please don't step on the flowers." The waiter, who had a blank look on his face, uttered like a robot. He's probably tired of saying it to every guest, he really just wanted to go home and play his guitar until he falls asleep.

Getting older, he realized you can't just live doing that. Shocking!

"I know that, I won't." Zayn said, nodding.

Zayn looked around before he chose a spot behind a tree, away from the people, and closer to the entrance.

He walked slowly, but he was surprised to see another man in the spot, also smoking.

Zayn let a quiet gasp, and the man lift his head up in surprise as well.

"Hey," Zayn mumbled, not really able to see the face of the man in the semi darkness behind the tree. But he could see waves of hair on his shoulders.

"Hey." A deep voice replied.

Zayn stood for a moment wondering if he'd be intruding if he smoked here, but finally he decided that it'd also be rude if he just walked away after he said hi.

He took a cigarette out of his pack, putting it in between his lips and patted his pockets looking for his lighter; he couldn't find it.

"Here," the man uttered, getting his face closer to Zayn's, who froze at the man's action; the man leaned a bit more and lighted Zayn's cigarette using the lit tip of his own.

"Uhm.. thanks." Zayn awkwardly said, taking a drag out of his cigarette. Feeling weird at the man's action.

~

General rules of Ethereal City:

♧ ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ꜱᴛᴇᴘ ᴏɴ ᴀ ꜰʟᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴏʀ ʜᴀʀᴍ ᴀ ꜰʟᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴄɪʀᴄᴜᴍꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇꜱ ♤

~

Oh hello Harry :)

Saw Zayn's pic above!! He's a full jar of honey!🍯

We are still at the beginning, but hope you're liking it so far!

Thanks for all the votes and comments! You guys are sooo sweet!

tell me what you think 💛